Travel Swellness: Playtime in Park City

I feel like I heard about Park City many years ago, and even though I wasn’t a skier at the time, I knew I really wanted to go. Quite possibly because of the name — “park” usually is synonymous with playing — and from what I’d gathered, Park City is a destination for posh people…and I’m all ’bout that posh life.

Kidding. Kinda sorta. I’d like to be all about that posh life is probably a more accurate statement.

In January, my wish to visit Park City came true when I got the opportunity to visit for a story. And the city was even better than I’d imagined. It’s an old mining town so there are charming little homes lining the streets. I was on the slopes much of the time so I didn’t get too many photos of the homes, unfortunately. But their colourful exteriors pop brightly against the snow.

We ate at so many great spots but I think my favourite meal was a cute casual spot (one that’s oh so very Instagrammable — which is, duh, a must in my books!) where all of the ingredients were so fresh and everything was so flavourful that had just opened a few months prior called Harvest.

I had my very first turmeric tea here, and while I felt like it smelled great (and looks delicious), I wasn’t too fond of the flavour. But the pork belly sandwich I had here was filled with such fresh greens and the pork belly so flavourful and wonderfully fatty — just the right amount of fat to meat and all tucked into a soft bun. I’m salivating thinking back to it.

While the turmeric tea wasn’t for me, what I was very, very fond of? The Dead Man’s Boots cocktail at High West. It’s refreshing, and strong and pretty much is a combination of two of my fave cocktails. One is enough to knock you back a little…so , naturally, I had two! hehheh…I”m going to have to practice trying to replicate this drink at home.

A must-not miss while in Park City is SUP yoga at the Homestead Crater. There was some record snowfall while we were in town so under a thick blanket of snow, we came across a mound or dome. Enter through the door and it’s cold in the entry area, but walk in and there’s an amazing steamy, hot body of water, with natural daylight streaming in from the crater opening above.

Yoga on a SUP is a great core workout but because the water is so nice and warm, it’s fine if you mess up your pose and fall in (even though I admit I was reluctant to fall at first, falling into water is something I typically need to mentally prepare for whenever possible!). It was very unreal to know that just outside were giant fluffy snowflakes blanketing the city, while we were tucked inside in an ultra warm natural body of water. Definitely one of the coolest workouts I’ve ever done (and I’ve rappelled down a waterfall after hiking up in a river in Puerto Rico! That’s another that tops my fave workout adventures!).

The skiing here is great and the mountain is huge. We had so much fresh powder and the runs weren’t overly crowded. Although I don’t think the views are as stunning as, say, when you’re skiing with views of the Rocky or Purcell Mountains, or of Lake Tahoe, you can find some really peaceful runs and the snow is so delightful. I will say that I didn’t find the signage all too clear (and based on skiers I encountered who also got lost I’m not the only one). This is how I ended up going down underneath a lift (technically not a run based on the map, although people were obviously skiing it) in an area dominated by double black diamond runs. This was not a good thing (I have done a few single black diamonds in my short time as a skier, but never a double black diamond), but I just took a deep breath and made my way slowly down, pausing to take. And I managed to not shed a tear (although I did so mentally!) or break a leg.

Park City is owned by Vail Resorts, which means I got an instant log of my skiing thanks to their EpicMix app. Your ski pass is automatically scanned when you get on a chair lift (and that’s how it calculates how many vertical feet you’ve skied each day). I love this app. I find the data satisfying and motivating (same goes for my running using the Nike NRC app — I guess I like having concrete numbers!). And I love that you can find the photos taken on the slopes by the EpicMix photogs right there on the app. It’s not the most user-friendly app (I had to create a different account from last year using a different email because of a logistical thing with my ski pass) but hopefully those things can be smoothed out as the app is improved and updated.

For more about visiting Park City, check out my article over on VITA Daily. But if you ever have any specific questions about Park City or any other destination I’ve been to, don’t hesitate to email or message me. and I’ll answer them if I can!

Leave a Comment March 28, 2017

Travel Swellness: Checking into Colorado

I started this winter determined to make the most of it, and with several ski trips, I’d say I can successfully check that off my list! And winter’s not even done yet.

I was lucky enough to travel not just once but twice to Colorado so far this year.  First trip was to Vail and Breckenridge. You can check out my travel story on Vitamin Daily now. With several days of skiing, I finally was able to improve my skiing and our instructor in Breck even took us on a black diamond (although he admitted he wouldn’t normally have but given we were researching Vail for our articles, he made an exception…). Vail is as gorgeous as you’ve heard (snowy mountain peaks) and we ate so well there (lamb fondue, hello!), and we even ate lunch at a posh ski hill restaurant that provides cozy slippers for you to wear so you can take off those clunky awkward ski boots. I am the slowest walker in ski boots, just ask my fellow skiers.

Breckenridge is much more casual and family-oriented but equally enjoyable. I’d say it has more of an almost college town vibe but my view may be skewed as we dressed up in viking hats that we’d decorated and took part in the world’s largest shotski at Ullr Fest. Ullr is the Norse god of winter and the festival is to ask him to bless Breck with more snow. After the shotski, we watched rowdy folks in the family-friendly parade, popped by the enormous bonfire where the townspeople tossed their Christmas trees and then finished our trip with one of my favourite meals of this trip at Relish. We, of course, did some great skiing here, too, drank lots of hot chocolate and I left Breck happy to be returning to Colorado the following week.

Not even a week later, I returned to Colorado again for work, this time to explore Copper Mountain and Telluride. As a newbie to Colorado, I’d never heard of Copper Mountain until this opportunity came up, but I’d have to say I think Copper is the most picturesque of the four ski spots I visited. There’s a dense forests of fir trees all heavy with white snow that makes it magical here. I felt like I’d walked through the back of the wardrobe into Narnia. This trip, I was simply happy to take it easy skiing and just enjoy the free feeling of coasting down the slopes.

From Copper we drove down to Telluride. It’s about a five-hour drive, which is long to be cooped up in a car but for much of the drive the view is so breathtaking that it’s not a hardship. If you make this drive, stop into Palisade Brewing Company to have some wicked BBQ.

Telluride is the most unique spot. It’s a box canyon and if you feel like you’re looking at the Coors logo, you may actually be doing so (the mountains in that logo are in Telluride). The town has an old timey feel that makes you feel like you’re on a movie set…except it’s actually how it is and was. It’s a reminder that you’re in the wild, wild west and my only regret is not having more time to explore it more thoroughly.

My piece on Telluride and Copper Mountain was in the national edition of Metro, which isn’t the easiest to link to online.

With these two trips I reached level 4 of 9 in ski school, and with more skiing this winter, I hope to advance a level or two. Where are some of the best spots you’ve skied?

Leave a Comment February 23, 2016